June 12 Democracy Day: Buhari’s administration made history – Femi Falana

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana(SAN), has said that President Mohammadu Buhari government has made history for declaring June 12 Democracy Day the Federal Government and that he has officially validated the integrity of the fair and free election that was criminally annulled by the Ibrahim Babangida junta and that the government .

Falana(SAN) reacting to the Wednesday declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day by President Muhammadu Buhari in a statement Wednesday night said ‘by declaring June 12 Democracy Day the Federal Government officially validated the integrity of the fair and free election that was criminally annulled by the Ibrahim Babangida junta.

‘By recognizing June 12 as Democracy Day the Federal Government has put an end to the hypocrisy of May 29 which was proclaimed by the Olusegun Obasanjo regime.

He also said that the conferment the posthumous award of national award of Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON) on Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN the Federal Government has officially endorsed his enormous contributions to the titanic battle against the military dictatorship and promotion of human rights in Nigeria.

He, however enjoined the government ‘to adopt Chief Abiola’s Programme of Welfare to Poverty and respect the human rights of all Nigerians which Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN championed and defended in his life time. ‘

In particular, he said the ‘government release of all citizens who are being detained illegally all over the country and immediate compliance with all valid and subsisting court orders and that Mrs Kudirat Abiola, who was brutally assassinated while defending the June 12 mandate and others who equally paid the supreme sacrifice in defense of democracy and the rule of law deserve to be honoured posthumously.’

Falana’s statement read thus:

The Mohammadu Buhari administration made history today by conferring the posthumous national award of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) on Chief M. K. O. Abiola, the acclaimed of the June 12, 1993 presidential election for his huge contribution to the restoration of democratic rule in Nigeria.

By declaring June 12 Democracy Day the Federal Government has officially validated the integrity of the fair and free election that was criminally annulled by the Ibrahim Babangida junta.

By recognizing June 12 as Democracy Day the Federal Government has put an end to the hypocrisy of May 29 which was proclaimed by the Olusegun Obasanjo regime.

By conferring the posthumous award of national award of Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON) on Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN the Federal Government has officially endorsed his enormous contributions to the titanic battle against military dictatorship and promotion of human rights in Nigeria.

In addition to the historic gesture the Federal Government should proceed to adopt Chief Abiola’s Programme of Welfare to Poverty and respect the human rights of all Nigerians which Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN championed and defended in his life time.

In particular, the Federal Government should mark the first national democracy day on June 12, 2018 with the release of all citizens who are being detained illegally all over the country and immediate compliance with all valid and subsisting court orders. Furthermore, Mrs Kudirat Abiola who was brutally assassinated while defending the June 12 mandate and others who equally paid the supreme sacrifice in defense of democracy and rule of law deserve to be honoured posthumously.

Vanguard